Lauderdale Isles Fights Airport

Small Community Resists Expansion Of The North Runway

June 22, 2003|By Jerry Libonati Staff Writer

There's a sprawling oak tree in Craig Canning's front yard. It's one of the things he likes best about his home in Lauderdale Isles, a community annexed to Fort Lauderdale on Sept. 15 of last year. The area consists of 700 homes hidden just south of Davie Boulevard, east of State Road 7.

"Trees and the environment are important issues here since so many people live on the water," Canning said. "We want to preserve the waterways."

That's why Canning, 52, became president of the Lauderdale Isles Homeowners Association -- to maintain the area's green canopy and ensure the integrity of the North New River Canal that forms the southern boundary of the community.

"I was nominated and elected before I could turn around and object," said the 52-year-old resident who bought his home in 1987. "We've seen an older generation of homeowners beginning to sell and it's now changing so that we're getting some younger families. A lot of these houses are small, people are doing additions and putting second stories on and it's mostly all positive."

It is the New River that forms the lifeblood of this small, 13-street community.

"A majority of the homes have deep-water access although it's about 55 minutes to get to the ocean," said Canning, now in his second year as association president.

"We're the last section west of Fort Lauderdale that has deep-water access. So people here can have good-sized yachts. Once you go west of here you run into a fixed bridge over 441 and you can't have a sailboat or a yacht."

One of his biggest fears as a homeowner is the potential for increased noise from the airport, which had considered adding another runway to the north.

"Although people don't think of us as being affected by the airport, when they take off to the west, we are very much impacted and we want the airport to expand the south runway. There have been plans submitted for an additional runway toward the north and we fought that very passionately."

Canning grew up in Dobbs Ferry, N.Y., and attended Bowling Green State University.He has lived in America's Venice for 27 years with his wife Frosene. He works for the city as the supervisor of its two water plants.

"I came down here during the winter to see some friends, enjoyed Fort Lauderdale and decided to make a go of it," said Canning.

Jerry Libonati can be reached at jlibonati@sun-sentinel.com or 954-572-2014.